View source for Miss Universe 1997

{{Short description|46th Miss Universe}}
{{pp-sock|small=yes}}
{{Infobox beauty pageant
| photo = BrookLee.JPG
| caption = Miss Universe 1997, [[Brook Lee]]
| winner = [[Brook Lee]]
| represented = United States
| date = 16 May 1997
| presenters = {{Hlist|[[George Hamilton (actor)|George Hamilton]]|[[Marla Maples|Marla Maples Trump]]}}
| acts = [[Enrique Iglesias]]
| entrants = 74
| placements = 10
| venue = [[Miami Beach Convention Center]], [[Miami Beach, Florida]], [[United States]]
| broadcaster = [[CBS]] ([[WFOR-TV]])
| debuts = {{Hlist|Croatia}}
| withdraws = {{Hlist|Cayman Islands|Cook Islands|Denmark|Ghana|Great Britain|Indonesia|Netherlands|Norway|Sri Lanka}}
| returns = {{Hlist|Bermuda|Mauritius|United States Virgin Islands}}
| before = [[Miss Universe 1996|1996]]
| next = [[Miss Universe 1998|1998]]
}}

'''Miss Universe 1997''' was the 46th [[Miss Universe]] pageant, held on 16 May 1997 at the [[Miami Beach Convention Center]] in [[Miami Beach, Florida]], [[United States]]. [[Brook Lee]] of the [[United States]] was crowned by [[Alicia Machado]] of [[Venezuela]] at the end of the event. Seventy-four delegates competed in this year.<ref name="The Huffington Post 2014">{{cite web | title=Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee -- Straight Ally for LGBT Equality | website=The Huffington Post | date=June 12, 2014 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jimmy-nguyen/miss-universe-1997-brook-_1_b_5483039.html | access-date=May 19, 2016}}</ref> This is the first Miss Universe edition to be produced by [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=1996-10-24 |title=OTHER NEWS |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-24-fi-57103-story.html |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Background ==
[[File:Miami Beach FL Convention Center02.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Miami Beach Convention Center]]]]

=== Selection of participants ===

==== Replacements ====
The winner of [[Miss Universo Chile]] 1997, Hetu'u Rapu from Easter Island was replaced by her 1st runner-up, Claudia Delpín because Hetu'u did not meet the age requirement of eighteen to take part at Miss Universe 1997 by seventeen days.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ganadoras de los años noventa |url=http://www.chileancharm.com/1952_MCH_HISTORIA/miss_chile_4.html |access-date=2023-08-21 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rapa Nui en la historia de la belleza chilena |url=http://chileancharm.com/ISLA-DE-PASCUA/REINAS-DE-LA-ISLA.html |access-date=2023-08-21 |language=es}}</ref> The winner of Miss Deutschland 1997, Nadine Schmidt elected not to participate at Miss Universe 1997, and she was replaced by her 3rd runner-up, Agathe Neunen because the other runners-up did not meet the age requirement of 18 to take part at Miss Universe. However, Schmidt later participated at Miss Baltic Sea 1997 and won the crown. [[Miss Russia]] 1996, [[Alexandra Petrova]] couldn't participate because she was underage at the time, however she attended the contest in Miami as a guest with Russian Organizers. [[Miss Slovakia]] 1996, Vladimíra Hreňovčíková elected in November 1996 also couldn't attend the pageant due underage, an emergency Miss Slovakia 1997 pageant was held in April and won by Lucia Povrazníková; however Vladimíra went next year to [[Miss Universe 1998]] where she won Miss Photogenic award. [[Miss Ukraine]] 1996, Natalya Shvachko was going to participate in this contest, but however she obtained a Lucrative Modeling Contract with Ford Models in New York in the spring of 1997. and gave up from participating at MU 1997, being replaced by veteran pageant Natalia Nadtochiy due to the realization of the Miss Ukraine 1997 contest in the first week of May 1997; She finally went to [[Miss Universe 2000|Miss Universe]] 3 years later. [[Miss Israel]] 1997, [[:he:מירית_גרינברג|Mirit Greenberg]] couldn't participate because she was underage and went only to [[Miss World 1997]]. Miss Ireland 1996, [[Niamh Redmond]] was replaced by her second runner up - Fiona Mullally to Miss Universe 1997, due her poor performance at [[Miss World 1996]] by Irish Organizers.

==== Debuts, returns, and withdrawals ====
Miss Nicaragua 1996, Luz Maria Sanchez Herdocia did not participate because the television station that ran Miss Nicaragua ([[Canal 6 (Nicaragua)|Canal 6]]) declared bankruptcy in April, and therefore they couldn't pay the entry fee.<ref name="web.archive.org">{{Cite web |title=Yahoo &#124; Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos |url=http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/1625/newsticker.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991018180554/http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/1625/newsticker.html |archive-date=1999-10-18}}</ref> Maryjane McKibben of Western Samoa dropped out of the pageant after two days, she later won the [[Miss Pacific Islands|Miss South Pacific Pageant 1997]]. [[Miss Great Britain]] 1996-1997, [[Liz Fuller|Elizabeth (Liz) Angela Fuller]] nor could she attend the MU 1997, because the British national contest was held in Mexico in 1996, and by then, rules of the Miss Universe contest forbade holding national competitions outside the participant country and the organizers were admonished, forcing Liz not to participate in Miami. [[Miss Norway]] 1996-1997, Eva Sjoholt did not participate due to her studies of Criminology and the lack of funds and sponsorship. Leoni Boon of Netherlands and Mette Ravn Ibsen of Denmark also had to withdraw from the contest due to lack of money and sponsorship and both competed in [[Miss Europe 1997]] instead, making the first absence of Netherlands in the Miss Universe after 40 years competing. For the second time, [[Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria]] 1996-1997, [[Aret Komlosy|Emma Komlosy]] could not participate at the Miss Universe 1997 due to the lack of money and sponsors and their national contest was not held until 1998. Charlemagne Cassidy of Cook Islands only went to Miss South Pacific Pageant 1997 due lack of funds. [[Miss Universe Zambia]] 1997, Kusobile Kamwambi Nor went also to MU 1997 in Miami because her organization did not get the funds and money to compete, in addition to not paying her the promised awards by winning the title. Katia Brisson of Haiti didn't participate due to undisclosed reasons. The [[Puteri Indonesia]] 1997 pageant was cancelled due to re-ban of beauty contests in Indonesia in late May 1996 by the [[Suharto]] Government due to religious reasons, and whose ban was set up in [[:id:Puteri_Indonesia_2000|2000]] after the political transition. Sri Lanka lost their licence for Miss Universe until 2005. Ghana & Cayman Islands didn't hold their national pageants until Summer-Fall 1997.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==Results==
===Placements===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|- 
! Placement
! Contestant
|-
| Miss Universe 1997
|
* {{USA}} – [[Brook Lee]]
|-
| 1st Runner-Up
|
* {{Flag|Venezuela|1954}} – [[Marena Bencomo]]
|-
| 2nd Runner-Up
|
* {{TTO}} – Margot Bourgeois
|-
| Top 6
|
* {{CUW}} – Verna Vasquez
* {{ITA}} – [[Denny Méndez]]
* {{PAN}} – [[Lía Borrero]]
|-
| Top 10
|
* {{EST}} – Kristiina Heinmets
* {{IND}} – [[Nafisa Joseph]] †
* {{Flag|Puerto Rico|1952}} – Ana Rosa Brito Suarez
* {{SWE}} – Victoria Lagerström
|}

== Contestants ==
[[File:Miss Universe 1997 Map.PNG|thumb|250px|Countries and territories which sent delegates and results for Miss Universe 1997]]Seventy-four contestants competed for the title.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!Country/Territory
!Contestant
!Age{{efn|Ages at the time of the pageant|name=A}}
!Hometown
|-
|{{ARG}}
|Nazarena Vanesa González
|22
|[[Buenos Aires]]
|-
|{{ABW}}
|Karen-Ann Peterson
|20
|[[Piedra Plat]]
|-
|{{AUS}}
|[[Laura Csortan]]
|20
|[[Brisbane]]
|-
|{{BHS}}
|Nestaea Sealy<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=15 May 1997 |title=The women who would be queen |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1997/05/15/the-women-who-would-be-queen/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=Sun Sentinel |language=en-US}}</ref>
|18
|[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]]
|-
|{{BEL}}
|[[Laurence Borremans]]
|19
|[[Wavre]]
|-
|{{BLZ}}
|Sharon Dominguez
|22
|[[Orange Walk Town|Orange Walk]]
|-
|{{BMU}}
|Naomi Darrell
|20
|[[Warwick Parish]]
|-
|{{BOL}}
|Helga Bauer<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2004 |title=Helga Bauer pone su sello a la agenda del Alcalde |trans-title=Helga Bauer puts her stamp on the Mayor's agenda |url=https://www.bolivia.com/noticias/autonoticias/detallenoticia20910.asp |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=El Nuevo Día |language=es |via=Bolivia.com}}</ref>
|19
|[[Santa Cruz de la Sierra|Santa Cruz dela Sierra]]
|-
|{{BOE}}
|Jhane-Louise Landwier
|18
|[[Kralendijk]]
|-
|{{BRA}}
|Nayla Micherif
|21
|[[Ubá]]
|-
|{{VGB}}
|Melinda Penn<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 August 2014 |title=Weighing in on Festival |url=https://www.bvibeacon.com/weighing-in-on-festival/,%20https://www.bvibeacon.com/weighing-in-on-festival/ |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=The BVI Beacon |language=en-US}}</ref>
|–
|[[Tortola]]
|-
|{{BUL}}
|Krassmira Todorova
|–
|[[Varna Province|Varna]]
|-
|{{CAN}}
|Carmen Kempt
|18
|[[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]]
|-
|{{CHL}}
|Claudia Delpín
|18
|[[Iquique]]
|-
|{{COL}}
|Claudia Elena Vásquez
|22
|[[Medellín|Medellin]]
|-
|{{CRI}}
|Gabriela Aguilar
|19
|[[Santa Ana, Costa Rica|Santa Ana]]
|-
|{{HRV}}
|Kristina Cherina<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plivelić |first=Petra |date=17 November 2019 |title=Koja je prava Miss Hrvatske? Razgovarali smo s tri aktualne misice i vlasnicima direkcija hrvatskih izbora... |trans-title=Who is the real Miss Croatia? We talked to three current misses and the owners of the directorates of Croatian elections... |url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/scena/domace-zvijezde/koja-je-prava-miss-hrvatske-razgovarali-smo-s-tri-aktualne-misice-i-vlasnicima-direkcija-hrvatskih-izbora-9626542 |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=[[Jutarnji list]] |language=hr-hr}}</ref>
|18
|[[Split, Croatia|Split]]
|-
|{{CUW}}
|Verna Vasquez
|23
|[[Willemstad]]
|-
|{{Flag|Cyprus|1960}}
|Korina Nikolaou
|18
|[[Larnaca]]
|-
|{{CZE}}
|Petra Minářová
|19
|[[Prague]]
|-
|{{DOM}}
|Cesarina Mejía
|20
|[[Azua, Dominican Republic|Azua]]
|-
|{{ECU}}
|María José López
|19
|[[Quito]]
|-
|{{EGY}}
|Eiman Abdallah Thakeb
|–
|[[Cairo]]
|-
|{{SLV}}
|Carmen Carrillo
|19
|[[San Salvador]]
|-
|{{EST}}
|Kristiina Heinmets
|18
|[[Tallinn]]
|-
|{{FIN}}
|[[Karita Tykkä|Karita Tuomola]]
|20
|[[Kuopio]]
|-
|{{FRA}}
|Patricia Spéhar 
|21
|[[Paris]]
|-
|{{DEU}}
|Agathe Neuner<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 1999 |title=Kür der Miss Bergisch-Land 1999 |trans-title=Freestyle competition for Miss Bergisch-Land 1999 |url=https://www.rga.de/rhein-wupper/miss-bergisch-land-1999-4358569.html |access-date=12 September 2023 |website=Remscheider General-Anzeiger |language=de}}</ref>
|22
|[[Munich]]
|-
|{{GRC}}
|Elina Zisi
|21
|[[Athens]]
|-
|{{GTM}}
|Carol Aquino
|19
|[[Chiquimula]]
|-
|{{flag|Honduras|1949}}
|[[Joselina García]]
|18
|[[La Ceiba]]
|-
|{{flag|British Hong Kong|name=Hong Kong}}
|[[Lee San-san]]
|19
|Hong Kong
|-
|{{HUN}}
|Ildikó Kecan
|19
|[[Debrecen]]
|-
|{{ISL}}
|Solveig Lilja Guðmundsdóttir
|20
|[[Reykjavík]]
|-
|{{IND}}
|[[Nafisa Joseph]] †
|19
|[[Bangalore]]
|-
|{{IRL}}
|Fiona Mullally
|24
|[[Limerick]]
|-
|{{ISR}}
|Dikla Hamdy
|–
|[[Beersheba]]
|-
|{{ITA}}
|[[Denny Méndez]]
|18
|[[Florence]]
|-
|{{JAM}}
|Nadine Julian Thomas<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 January 2015 |title=Those Who Went Before |url=https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/local-lifestyle/those-who-went-before/ |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=Jamaica Observer |language=en-US}}</ref>
|21
|[[Saint Catherine Parish]]
|-
|{{LBN}}
|Dalida Chammai
|23
|[[Beirut]]
|-
|{{MYS}}
|Trincy Low
|21
|[[George Town, Penang|George Town]]
|-
|{{MLT}}
|Claire Grech
|21
|[[San Ġwann]]
|-
|{{MUS}}
|Cindy Cesar
|20
|[[Centre de Flacq|Central de Flacq]]
|-
|{{MEX}}
|[[Rebeca Tamez]]
|21
|[[Ciudad Victoria]]
|-
|{{NAM}}
|Sheya Shipanga
|22
|[[Windhoek]]
|-
|{{NZL}}
|Marina McCartney
|20
|[[Auckland]]
|-
|{{MNP}}
|Melanie Sibetang
|20
|[[Saipan]]
|-
|{{PAN}}
|[[Lía Borrero]]
|20
|[[Las Tablas, Los Santos|Las Tablas]]
|-
|{{Flag|Paraguay|1990}}
|Rosanna Jiménez
|–
|[[Encarnación, Paraguay|Encarnación]]
|-
|{{PER}}
|Claudia Maria Dopf<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 November 2011 |title=Die neue "Miß Peru" stammt aus Würzburg |trans-title=The new "Miss Peru" comes from Würzburg |url=https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article636982/Die-neue-Miss-Peru-stammt-aus-Wuerzburg.html |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=[[Die Welt]] |language=de}}</ref>
|20
|[[Lima]]
|-
|{{Flag|Philippines|1986}}
|Abbygale Arenas
|22
|[[Angeles City]]
|-
|{{POL}}
|Agnieszka Zielińska
|21
|[[Poznań]]
|-
|{{POR}}
|Lara Antunes
|19
|[[Lisbon]]
|-
|{{PRI}}
|Ana Rosa Brito 
|26
|[[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]
|-
|{{ROM}}
|Diana Maria Urdareanu
|20
|[[Timișoara]]
|-
|{{RUS}}
|Anna Baitchik
|20
|[[Saint Petersburg]]
|-
|{{SGP}}
|Tricia Tan
|24
|Singapore
|-
|{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Slovakia]]
|Lucia Povrazníková
|18
|[[Banská Bystrica]]
|-
|{{RSA}}
|Mbali Gasa
|21
|[[Durban]]
|-
|{{flag|South Korea|1949}}
|Lee Eun-hee
|19
|[[Seoul]]
|-
|{{ESP}}
|Inés Sáinz Esteban
|21
|[[Bilbao]]
|-
|{{SWE}}
|Victoria Lagerström
|24
|[[Stockholm]]
|-
|{{CHE}}
|[[Melanie Winiger]]
|18
|[[Locarno]]
|-
|{{TWN}}
|Chio Hai Ta
|24
|[[Taichung]]
|-
|{{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Miss Thailand|Thailand]]
|[[Sueangsuda Lawanprasert]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=11 July 2023|title= ประวัติ น้ำฝน สรวงสุดา ลาวัณย์ประเสริฐ |trans-title= Biography of Namfon Suengsuda Lawanprasert |url= https://entertainment.trueid.net/detail/DYEJvgEpDgo0 |access-date=24 March 2025|website= Sanook|language=Thai}}</ref>
|19
|[[Bangkok]]
|-
|{{TTO}}
|Margot Bourgeois
|24
|[[Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago|Arouca]]
|-
|{{TUR}}
|Yeşim Çetin
|20
|[[Istanbul]]
|-
|{{TCA}}
|Keisha Delancy
|23
|[[Grand Turk Island|Grand Turk]]
|-
|{{UKR}}
|Natalia Nadtochiy
|21
|[[Kharkiv]]
|-
|{{USA}}
|[[Brook Lee]]
|26
|[[Pearl City, Hawaii|Pearl City]]
|-
|{{VIR}}
|Vania Thomas
|27
|[[Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands|Charlotte Amalie]]
|-
|{{URY}}
|Adriana Cano
|20
|[[Montevideo]]
|-
|{{Flag|Venezuela|1954}}
|[[Marena Bencomo]]
|23
|[[Valencia, Venezuela|Valencia]]
|-
|{{ZWE}}
|Lorraine Magwenzi
|22
|[[Harare]]
|}
† = deceased

== Notes ==
<references group="lower-alpha" responsive="1"></references>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Miss Universe}}
{{Miss Universe 1997 delegates}}

[[Category:Miss Universe by year|1997]]
[[Category:1997 in the United States]]
[[Category:1997 beauty pageants]]
[[Category:Beauty pageants in the United States]]
[[Category:1997 in Florida]]
[[Category:Events in Miami Beach, Florida]]
[[Category:May 1997 in the United States]]